ALBANY -- Authorities are chasing leads through cyberspace in their hunt for the killer of a law clerk from Bethlehem, whose wife was badly injured in the November attack inside their suburban home.

The investigation is focusing on two laptop computers that were stolen from the home of Peter and Joan Porco three years ago, as well as a series of thefts of laptops at the University of Rochester, where the couple's son, Christopher, had attended school.

State Police forensic investigators also are examining a computer that was in the couple's home and may have been used the night of the attacks.

Law enforcement officials close to the case said they are trying to trace Internet computer records -- including eBay accounts -- to see whether any of the stolen computers could be traced to Christopher Porco, who they said remains a target in the five-month-old investigation. But the task is proving difficult because some of the items may have been sold to buyers overseas, according to officials close to the case.

"They come upon a peculiar fact and they sort of try to mold it into their foregone conclusion that Christopher may have done this," said Terence L. Kindlon, Christopher's attorney. "This is at the intellectual level of UFO theories and Kennedy conspiracy theories."

Last month, investigators returned to the University of Rochester and interviewed students and others who may have had contact with Porco while he attended school there. Part of the effort was to question students about their knowledge of the thefts or sale of any stolen laptops, law enforcement officials said.

Albany County Chief Assistant District Attorney Michael McDermott declined to discuss their focus on the laptops or other details of the investigation.

"I think it's fair to say that there continues to be an enormous expenditure of manpower ... regarding this investigation," McDermott said. "Leads have taken the police outside of New York and outside the country. It continues to be a top priority of our office and the law enforcement of the Capital District."

Peter and Joan Porco were found beaten with an ax inside their Brockley Drive home on Nov. 15. Peter Porco, 52, died from his injuries, while Joan Porco, 54, suffered devastating wounds to her face and head, including the loss of an eye. She cannot recall details of the attack, according to people close to the family.

Christopher Porco was identified as a suspect in the homicide in a police bulletin issued shortly after the couple was found. Police won't publicly identify him as a target, but their investigation has clearly focused on him.

Authorities are examining two earlier burglaries at the Porco home to see if they can track the sale of any items that may have been stolen, including two laptop computers.

Police reports on the burglaries, which took place eight months apart, show that someone entered the home in the quiet suburban neighborhood between 1:30 a.m. Nov. 28, 2002, and 4:45 p.m. the next day. The report doesn't say if anyone was home. Stolen were two laptop computers -- a Macintosh valued at $1,000, and a Dell worth $1,300 -- and a Cannon 35mm camera valued at $500. The camera was later found in the front yard.

The second break-in was reported on July 21, 2003, a Monday. This one occurred between 12:15 and 7:20 a.m. Peter Porco told police someone stole an $800 Dell laptop computer from a desk in the front living room. He discovered the theft at 7:20 a.m. and found a front window that had been pried open.

"Peter's son, Christopher, stated he was home and went to bed at approximately 12:15 a.m. and did not notice or hear anything unusual," the report said.

On the night of the homicide, law enforcement sources said, the home also appeared to have been targeted by a burglar. But this time, the couple had installed an alarm and the suspect apparently deactivated the alarm with a pass code and then took steps to make it look like a break-in, including cutting phone lines, sources close to the case said.

Thefts of laptop computers are common at the University of Rochester campus, according to articles published in the school's newspaper. It's not clear whether Christopher Porco was ever questioned by police in connection with any thefts at the campus. University officials could not immediately provide details about the thefts.

A grand jury reviewing evidence in the case has heard testimony from Christopher Porco's fraternity brothers and hometown friends, as well as from a neighbor who claimed to have seen the son's Jeep in his parents' driveway on the night they were attacked.

Christopher Porco denied being involved when detectives interrogated him for several hours the night after the attacks.

Police apparently are exploring a theory that Christopher Porco may have fought with his father over money and tuition costs, believing he wasn't getting enough financial support, according to law enforcement sources.

He was suspended by the University of Rochester after police told authorities there he was a suspect in the homicide, according to a letter from the college.